Documentary backdrop image for Lightning Dance (2018)

Documentary backdrop image for Lightning Dance (2018)

20186 minGdoc-short

Lightning Dance

20186 minGdoc-short

Six young Jamaicans perform dance routines in heavy rain during a thunderstorm in Spanish Town, Jamaica, captured in black-and-white video.

Genres

Director

Cecilia Bengolea

Synopsis

Six young Jamaicans perform dance routines in heavy rain during a thunderstorm in Spanish Town, Jamaica, captured in black-and-white video.

People

Cecilia Bengoleadirector

Synopsis

Young dancers perform beside a roadside shack in Spanish Town, Jamaica, during heavy rains in October 2017. Lightning Dance captures their movements against the backdrop of a thunderstorm. The black-and-white video features both solo and group routines, with rain soaking their clothes as they dance. The film reflects on how unpredictable weather influences their expressions and creativity. The work combines art and nature in a vivid display of energy and emotion.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Inside the World of Illegal Street Racing in the Caribbean (2017)

Inside the World of Illegal Street Racing in the Caribbean

In the Dominican Republic, illegal street racing has evolved into a dangerous subculture among teenagers, characterized by high-speed stunts, camaraderie, and risk-taking.

Inside the World of Illegal Street Racing in the Caribbean

Caribbean Fashion Week - Dance Hall and Skin Bleaching (2012)

Caribbean Fashion Week - Dance Hall and Skin Bleaching

Kingston's dancehall culture, featuring insights from Elephant Man, highlights the troubling impact of skin bleaching on local beauty standards and relationships.

Caribbean Fashion Week - Dance Hall and Skin Bleaching

Buckjumping (2020) (2024)

Buckjumping (2020)

In New Orleans, dancers express the city's vibrant culture and rhythm through their performances on the streets, showcasing the essence of local life.

Buckjumping (2020)

Can You Hear the Reggae in My Photographs? (2020)

Can You Hear the Reggae in My Photographs?

Ruddy Roye, a Storytelling Fellow from Jamaica, discusses his experiences covering the 2020 protests and his project "When Living Is a Protest."

Can You Hear the Reggae in My Photographs?

Great Places of the World | Episode 4: Jamaica (2023)

Great Places of the World | Episode 4: Jamaica

In Jamaica, the lush rural interior and coastal communities reveal a vibrant culture where residents maintain traditional lifestyles amid natural beauty.

Great Places of the World | Episode 4: Jamaica

An Hour in Jamaica: Adventures with a Caver, a Freediver & a Rasta Fisherman (2025)

An Hour in Jamaica: Adventures with a Caver, a Freediver & a Rasta Fisherman

Jamaica's diverse landscapes and vibrant culture come alive through the experiences of a caver, a freediver, and a Rasta fisherman.

An Hour in Jamaica: Adventures with a Caver, a Freediver & a Rasta Fisherman

Rew-ffwd (2013)

Rew-ffwd

A young photographer experiences cultural shock while on assignment in Jamaica, ultimately finding fascination in the local people, neighborhoods, and music.

Jamaica's Cool Runners: Pushcarts and the Art of Living (2024)

Jamaica's Cool Runners: Pushcarts and the Art of Living

Over half of Jamaica's farmers rely on pushcarts to transport fruits and vegetables to local markets, reflecting the island's resourceful spirit.

Jamaica's Cool Runners: Pushcarts and the Art of Living

Carnival in Haiti: Joyful and Resilient Voodoo Dance and Heritage (2024)

Carnival in Haiti: Joyful and Resilient Voodoo Dance and Heritage

Jacmel, a small harbor town, celebrates its vibrant carnival and rich Voodoo heritage.

Carnival in Haiti: Joyful and Resilient Voodoo Dance and Heritage

Amazing Quest: Stories from Jamaica (2022)

Amazing Quest: Stories from Jamaica

Adam hikes to the summit of Jamaica at over 2,200 meters, a trek he has made for more than 20 years.

Amazing Quest: Stories from Jamaica

Explore Lightning Dance

Browse more like this

Inside the World of Illegal Street Racing in the Caribbean (2017)

Inside the World of Illegal Street Racing in the Caribbean

In the Dominican Republic, illegal street racing has evolved into a dangerous subculture among teenagers, characterized by high-speed stunts, camaraderie, and risk-taking.

Inside the World of Illegal Street Racing in the Caribbean

No digital watch option in your country

Great Places of the World | Episode 4: Jamaica (2023)

Great Places of the World | Episode 4: Jamaica

In Jamaica, the lush rural interior and coastal communities reveal a vibrant culture where residents maintain traditional lifestyles amid natural beauty.

Great Places of the World | Episode 4: Jamaica

No digital watch option in your country

Moving Stories (2018)

Moving Stories

2018•1h23m•★10.0TMDB

Six dancers from Battery Dance travel to four countries in one week to engage with young refugees through workshops and performances.

Sweet Sugar Rage (1985)

Sweet Sugar Rage

1985•45m•★10.0TMDB

Forty-five minutes of performances by a Jamaican women's troupe address the struggles of female cane laborers facing long hours and low wages.

Sweet Sugar Rage

Dance Craze (1981)

Dance Craze

1981•1h25m•★7.6TMDB

Fifteen songs from iconic British bands like Madness and The Specials feature in this 1981 documentary about the 2 Tone music genre.

Man Free (2011)

Man Free

2011•54m•★10.0TMDB

A vibrant taxi driver and a young bakery owner share their experiences of life in Jamaica, where politics, crime, and drugs shape daily existence.

Drought (2011)

Drought

2011•1h5m•★5.8TMDB

Young dancers in Zapotal Santa Cruz, Veracruz, learn the intricate Dance of the Flyers, an ancient Mesoamerican ceremony at risk of fading away.

Black Mother (2018)

Black Mother

2018•1h17m•★6.6TMDB

Jamaica's vibrant culture and daily life are portrayed through personal stories and striking visuals, highlighting moments of birth and connection among its residents.

Out of La Negrura/Out of Blackness in the Bronx (2018)

Out of La Negrura/Out of Blackness in the Bronx

2018•24m•★10.0TMDB

Three dance artists collaborate to create an experimental performance that blends salsa, breaking, and Afro-Caribbean techniques in the Bronx.

Out of La Negrura/Out of Blackness in the Bronx

Electric Boogie (1983)

Electric Boogie

1983•30m•★5.7TMDB

Four boys perform Electric Boogie in the South Bronx, demonstrating a dance style known for its fluid movements and rhythmic precision.

Electric Boogie

Made in Jamaica (2006)

Made in Jamaica

2006•2h•★7.0TMDB

Reggae music's evolution from its Jamaican roots to global prominence is explored through performances and interviews with artists like Bob Marley and Shabba Ranks.

Made in Jamaica

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →